Zainab Chaudry facts for kids
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Zainab Chaudry is an American Muslim who works to protect civil rights and speak up for people. She is the leader for the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Maryland. CAIR is a group that helps American Muslims.
Her Education
Zainab Chaudry studied at the University of Maryland. She earned a special degree called a Doctor of Pharmacy. This means she learned a lot about medicines.
Her Work and Achievements
In 2015, Zainab Chaudry made history. She was the first Muslim person chosen to join the Maryland State Advisory Committee. This committee works with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. This U.S. Commission is an important group that advises the President and Congress on civil rights issues.
In 2016, she was honored at a special event at the White House. It was called the 'White House Summit on the United State of Women'. She was also named one of the top 25 'Women to Watch' by The Baltimore Sun newspaper that same year.
Zainab Chaudry also helped organize a big meeting in Maryland. This meeting was about how different religious leaders could work together during emergencies. She is still the Maryland Director for the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR).
In August 2023, she was chosen to be part of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention. This group works to prevent hate crimes.
Important Events and Discussions
In 2023, Zainab Chaudry supported parents in Montgomery County, Maryland. These parents, who were Muslim, Christian, and Jewish, wanted to choose if their children learned about certain topics in school.
After the conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Zainab Chaudry shared some thoughts on her personal social media. She compared Israel to Nazis and spoke about the impact on people in Gaza. She said her words were misunderstood and that she had the right to express her views. Because of these posts, she was temporarily removed from the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention. However, she was put back on the commission a few weeks later because there was no rule to keep her off.
In 2024, some state lawmakers, including Dalya Attar, Samuel I. Rosenberg, and Joe Vogel, wanted to change the rules for the hate crime commission. They wanted to remove people from groups like CAIR, including Zainab Chaudry. Zainab Chaudry spoke against this plan. She said her social media posts were not correctly understood.
The new law passed in March 2024. It did not name specific groups like CAIR. Instead, it gave Maryland's Attorney General the power to choose 15 members for the commission. These members would represent different groups protected by Maryland's hate crime laws. Governor Wes Moore signed this bill into law. Because of this new law, Zainab Chaudry and all other members were removed from the commission on June 1, 2024. Zainab Chaudry decided not to try to rejoin the commission. She felt that the commission's new rules about speaking out might stop her from supporting human rights for Palestinians.
Zainab Chaudry also supported a plan called House Joint Resolution 2. This plan, put forward by state delegate Gabriel Acevero, spoke out against the October 7 attack on Israel. It also criticized Israel's actions afterward. The resolution asked for a lasting ceasefire and spoke against hatred towards Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab people.
